With four exciting panel proposals on subjects from combating misinformation on the web to a discussion of whether or not science-fiction is doing a good job at talking about AI, you can help us keep SXSW as an incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, and also as a place where experts discuss what those technologies mean for digital rights.

The speed at which technology is developing is unprecedented in our history, yet politicians are as jammed up and at loggerheads as ever. The Senate hearing with Mark Zuckerberg revealed how little our political leaders actually understand what's going on, but we're still bound by the decisions they make regarding the technology we use on a daily basis. SOPA, PIPA, and the FCC's vote against Net Neutrality are specific instances of politicians being at odds with public opinion, where technology enthusiasts feel the constant struggle to stem the tide of harmful legislation, and many may be left wondering - where is this going?

The spread of misinformation is becoming an increasing problem in countries around the world. In particular during election times, social media platforms have been used to strategically to influence public opinion – from the Philippines, to Kenya, from Germany to the USA. Lack of net neutrality and the dominance of platforms like Facebook with its zero rating services are contributing to this becoming an increasing problem for democracy.

Internet activists from Africa, Europe and the USA will give insights into different government attempts to introduce new legislation combating the spread of misinformation as well as civil society strategies to defend freedom of speech and promote access to pluralistic information sources.

It’s time to talk about the future – how technology developers and companies can successfully move beyond the surveillance business model.

Trump, Cambridge Analytica and the growing scope of cybersecurity crises have been a wake-up call to the public, tech employees, and investors about the high price of the collect-it-all business model and the grave impact it can have on society. New comprehensive European and California privacy law have changed the landscape and the risk for surveillance business models.

Get the inside track from Silicon Valley journalist and author Brad Stone, Duck Duck Go Founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg, EFF’s Executive Director Cindy Cohn, and the ACLU’s Nicole Ozer on why and how to build a successful business model beyond surveillance.

How do depictions of Artificial Intelligence in popular science fiction affect how we think about real AI and its future? How has fiction about AI influenced the development of AI technology and policy in the real world? (And do we really have to talk about Terminator’s Skynet or 2001’s Hal 9000 every damned time we talk about the risks of AI?) Join bestselling sci-fi authors Cory Doctorow and Malka Older, scifiinterfaces.com editor Chris Noessel, along with futurism and AI policy experts as they examine what TV, movies, games, and sci-fi literature are telling us about AI, compare those lessons to real-world AI tech & policy, and identify the stories that we should be telling ourselves about AI, but aren’t.